


Afterlife

by WarriorHeart



Category: Original Work
Genre: Ancient Egyptian Literature & Mythology, Other, School Project
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 03:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14300013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarriorHeart/pseuds/WarriorHeart
Summary: A short story based on the trials a pharaoh must endure to enter into the afterlife and watch over his people eternally.





	Afterlife

**Author's Note:**

> Done as a social studies/geography project about Ancient Egypt.  
> (Fairy Tail fans will realize that I shamelessly use the name of my favorite character for the pharaoh in this.)

Death for a pharaoh was odd indeed, as once one died, they were allowed to observe their body and the mummification that thus took place. It was an honor reserved only for those that had led their beloved Egypt through prosperous times, and even then was to be forgotten during the trials to the Afterlife.

Zeref first gained awareness after his initial death on the shores of a mist-covered river. Three figures stood before him; upon bearing his mind, their figures were easy to distinguish; Heka, god of magic, Sia, god of wisdom and perception, and Hu, god of the spoken word. Beyond them, on the river, lay a simple boat, much as some of the peasants might use should they travel the Nile. It remained completely still, which made a part of him wonder if perhaps the river was not a river of water, but of something that allowed the boat to float through the air.

_Welcome,_ _Zeref_ _. Here is where your trials will begin._

The dark-haired man bowed his head, then thought better and bowed completely. These were gods before him, after all, and he would require their blessings in order to pass on to the Afterlife and eternal rest.

Without another word, the three gods parted, leaving only the boat before him, and after a moment, he stepped forwards, carefully making his way into it. It began to drift calmly as soon as he settled, and when he turned his head to get another glimpse of the gods that had greeted him, he found nothing behind him but mist and smoke. Thus, he turned his gaze before him. The slight weight of a scroll rested in his left palm, and he sent a blessing of thanks to those whom had constructed his Book of the Dead.

Time was nothing in this not-quite-living, not-quite-dead area of purgatory. A normal human on a journey of this length might perhaps say it felt as if days passed, drifting aimlessly, but Zeref was no fool; he had died one hour before the sun set, and thusly he drifted for one hour. His trials would begin at dusk, when the sun died in the West, and he would have one hour for each of the twelve gates from then on. Should he be successful, the sun would rise again and bestow his people with warmth and light once again the next dawn.

"I will not fail you, my people. Even in death, I remain as much a servant to you as you have faithfully been to me."

-

When the hour finally passed, an archway appeared in the gloom, and despite his patience, Zeref had to hold back a small sigh of relief as the wait ended. The boat seemed to slow as it passed under the arch, and he finally took the time to look around as the scenery shifted.

The river ended just inside the hall, leaving enough space for the boat to rest fully through the archway. As it would take him no further, Zeref stood and left it, keeping his Book of the Dead close at hand. The trial to his Afterlife had begun the moment he died, and he would not disgrace his people by treating this blessing as a fool would.

At first glance, the walls were bare limestone, nothing of note; yet when he took a second glance, he noticed hieroglyphs on the walls. Stepping closer to inspect them, a jolt of surprise darted through him when the paintings began to move and shift, facing him, before the wall rippled and then disappeared, leaving behind a vast, sprawling desert with hundreds upon thousands of transparent figures bowing before him. The golden sand was lit up by the gentlest kiss of the sun's upper curve as it finally disappeared over the Western horizon, and a part of him finally realized what was going on – much as the gods had greeted him at the shores of the river, these were spirits of long passed citizens and Egyptian people whom had passed into the Afterlife, greeting the new pharaoh.

He turned, and it took much of his resolve not to instantly shout and step away. The opposite wall had dissolved, as well, but this side surely was for the souls that had not passed their trials. Rotting corpses, littered with linen bandages from poor mummification, reached for him. Many eyes glared at him with hate and jealousy, and he had no doubt that if given the chance, all of them would switch with him in an instant. 

Unlike the calm sands of the desert behind him, this glimpse into the hellish side of death was a world of fire and darkness. A lake of fire danced under the feet of the condemned, shadows flickered everywhere, and his heart went cold as he witnessed a creature in the far distance in the act of what seemed to be consuming a soul.

Repulsed, Zeref turned away with a shudder, blocking out both sides of the hall as he advanced. Other than the paradise and disturbing hell on the walls at his side, the hall presented no other challenges, and he soon reached the next gate.

Two statues guarded the entrance, and he came to a halt standing before them. One bore the head of a jackal, the other a ram. He stood in silence for several moments, beginning to wonder if he had done something wrong – the gate had not opened, after all – before two pairs of eyes slid open and locked on him.

_Should he of an evil heart stand before us, he shall surely die once more where he stands and suffer eternal misery. Shall he of a pure heart stand before us, however, and he shall pass without bodily harm._

Zeref lifted his chin, staying as he was otherwise. If this was the first test, he knew not to be especially surprised – many more would come after this, each with increasing difficulty as the night progressed. Such was the way of things. After all, if all trials were of equal difficulty, there would be no true value to overcoming them; the trials tested the heart of a pharaoh, and such a heart had to be with ones people at every chance.

The dust around his feet stirred, slowly beginning to swirl as he stood his ground. It wasn't long before he stood in the center of what felt like a sandstorm; he could feel his entire body tense with the effort of suppressing memories. It was a sandstorm that had killed his father, after all, when he was ambushed by mercenaries on his way home to Cairo. A storm that had led to the darkness in his life, the part that led to much regret.

Then again, he reflected, a grim smile forming on his lips, he had always been a quiet boy until then. If he had not been possessed by grief and rage, he would have never been able to lead the people of Egypt with his full loyalty.

The dust around him sped up still, and soon, it was hard to breathe, both from the fact the air moved too quickly around him to breathe and from the gathering heat as the sand stung his arms and face. He refused to move, however; he would not show fear. Not here. Not when his people depended on him.

Unlike how it began, the cyclone disappeared very suddenly, and the dust simply dropped to the ground. He blinked in surprise, observing the two statues; both had returned to their dormant forms, and the gate before him was open.

Despite himself, a smile touched his face, and Zeref bowed his head to the statues. "Many thanks to you both."

He continued on with head held high into the second chamber, and the second hour of the night.

-

By hour five, he could feel weariness creeping into his body. After a warning and a near failure based on the actions of his younger self, a terrifying walk through a lake of fire, his first encounter with Ra's bitter enemy, Anubis, and offering tributes to several gods, he was mildly surprised when a single entity stood before him, masked and with a staff in hand.

_Zeref_ _of Cairo, you have passed into Judgement Hall. Here you shall be asked a series of questions of your life that you must answer with the truth of heart. If you are found guilty, you shall be cast into the abyss, never to see the light of paradise._

He took a soft breath, then nodded. "Very well. I am ready."

_Good._

The figure dissolved into dust, which recollected into another. This figure held a scroll and wore a simple white mask that had no features at all.

_Have you looked after your body as best as you could?_

"Yes."

A second, third, fourth, and more figures passed in this similar fashion, all asking one question, all disappearing after he answered. Some he elaborated when a simple 'yes' or 'no' was not enough, but many were satisfied with one word answers.

_Hast thou spoken unjustly in anger?_

"Yes."

_Hast thou lied to gain from others?_

"No."

_Hast thou been thy parents joy?"_

A smile touched at his lips. "I certainly would hope so... Yes."

_Hast thou ever worked man or beast beyond its strength in greed?_

"No."

Forty-one figures passed before him; the forty-second wore no mask, but instead was a reflection of himself. It kept shifting; he was no one version of himself for more than a few heartbeats at any given time. As he was now, as he was in his final moments of life, as he was when he had first killed. All remained a mirror image of his adult form, though all in varying stages.

"You teeter on the edge of innocent and guilty," the mirror mused, tilting its head at him. "One final question shall determine your fate, Zeref. Are you prepared?"

"Even if I was not, I would still answer."

"Good. Your final question, Zeref, is this: Is there at least one being still upon the Earth that is glad you have lived?"

Zeref's eyes softened, and he nodded. "Yes. He may not be able to know it for several years, but I know my son still lives because of my sacrifice. My wife, as well, and my mother. And, I hope, all of the people I had the honor of protecting."

The mirror image finally rested on how he looked at the moment, then dissolved. With him went the darkness around Zeref, and before him was a scene he had studied countless times over in scrolls and tombs of pharaohs before him.

Ma'at was on the opposite side of the scales from him. To her right stood Thoth, tablet and chisel in hand; he was already writing, never even sparing Zeref a glance. The chamber around him was simple enough, much like a cave; torches softly lit the room, reflecting off of the golden scales before him. 

Ma'at moved around the scales, guiding him to one end before resting a hand on his chest. When she pulled it back, a jolt of surprise went through him to see his heart resting on her palm. It looked like quite the fragile thing, he had to admit; despite being out of his body, it continued to beat as if it wasn't. Ma'at turned away from him, to the scales, and spoke.

  _I trust you understand well enough what this trial shall be,_ _Zeref_ _?_

He nodded, silent, watching as Ma'at tenderly placed his heart on the side of the scale closest to him. On the other, she placed a pure white feather, nearly shining in the contrast to the darker surroundings. The scale did not tip either way.

_This is the weight of your heart as you were in early life, as a newborn and a child. You were innocent, and never had the thought of blood staining your hands crossed your mind._

The scaled shifted, the end with his heart dipping lower than the feather gradually. It stopped when the pans were about an inch separated in height.

_This was the weight of your heart when you ascended to the power of pharaoh, weighed by grief. This grief led you to take your first life, tainting your heart with fear and pain and guilt._

For several moments, the scale did not lift, and Zeref felt a strike of fear. Was he not worthy? Yet a moment after this thought entered his head, it shifted, and the scales switched places – leaving his heart lighter than the feather. Ma'at's voice almost seemed gentler.

_You have lived with such grief for years, young_ _Zeref_ _, yet it was when you truly found love that you finally let it go. You died honorably, protecting her and your newborn son, and you have passed this trial. Go, and live eternal._

It was several moments before he spoke, and several more before he dared to move. "Thank you, Ma'at... My life, living and death, will ever be in your service."

The goddess inclined her head to him.

_The only ones you should ever be in the service of, young_ _Zeref_ _, are your people and your family. Go, now. I have faith you shall succeed in each challenge to come, for despite past sins, your heart is that of the most courageous warrior. Egypt was blessed to be ruled by one of such passion._

His heart had disappeared from the scale; he could feel it thumping fiercely in his chest. At first, he would have thought it the relief of what had passed; now, though, he knew it beat with the will to protect his people, even in death.

The gate opened before him, and he continued on.

-

Pain coursed through his body as he slammed into the wall, the constricting weight on his chest never relaxing; scales bit into his skin as he was given no respite, finally flung from the serpent's grip into the opposite wall. Despite the force of the impact, no stone broke away as he slumped to the side, gripping his Book of the Dead tightly and wiping blood from his eyes with the other.

Hour and trial ten had thrust him into a battle with Apophis. While previously, the snake had been restrained by nine gods, it had broken free and had lain in wait for him in this chamber. Without warning, he had been surprised by the sudden attack, as most of the trials before had involved little to no fighting. This was the first time the serpent had actually released him after setting foot in the chamber.

_They expect a mere mortal to be able to defeat a god of my power? Pathetic! You cannot even stand, let alone face me!_

It was not fury at the mocking tone of his enemy that Zeref stood, but the image of his wife and son, both waiting anxiously, watching the eastern horizon for the sun all throughout the night. The child was sleepy yet awake, sensing his mother's distress – and he could not let them down.

A hiss left the snake before him, and he was suddenly glad he had broken the seal on his Book of the Dead in a previous chamber. It took a mere thought for the scroll to flutter out of his hand, open and twist violently, before resting once more in his palm a heartbeat later with a variety of spells selected and at the ready.

He was surprised to see that with each spell he used, a god or goddess appeared by his side to help him battle against Apophis. Even as his strength began to fail, he kept going, always holding the image of his family in mind. His mother had appeared, now, holding his wife close as all three watched the sky with searching gazes, all silent; their eyes spoke all.

In a distracted moment, Zeref let his guard down for a mere fraction of a second. However, for Apophis, it was more than enough time to dart closer and encase him with his serpentine body; through his alarm, Zeref allowed the serpent to squeeze tightly around him, enough to cut off his breathing in an instant.

_Foolish Ra! I will not be defeated again, not by a mere mortal! It is your time to suffer an eternal hell while I control the humans you so cherish!_

The light of the torches around him was fading, and it took him a moment to realize it was his vision darkening. He could feel Apophis moving; the serpent was dragging him down into the underworld for eternal suffering.

He had lost his Book of the Dead when Apophis had struck, but he didn't need it. Not now. Not when his people, his family depended on him.

He had, after all, been buried with a dagger to help protect himself along his journey.

Apophis shrieked as he sunk it into the vulnerable underbelly of softer scales. He was released instantly, and the gods were upon the snake in an instant, preventing him from wriggling free to attack again. The gate before him opened, and it took the last of his strength to cross it before he fell into a much needed rest.

-

When he first woke, he nearly swore he had come back to life. He was resting in a bed that was identical to the one he'd slept in the past five years, and the room looked much the same; the variation that convinced him he was still in the trials was that the far wall opened into a balcony, allowing the faintest moonlight to light his path.

His injuries had been bandaged and overall, he looked better than he did before even Judgement Hall, despite the linen wrappings. A mirror stood to the left that allowed him to see such; he noted with some surprise that markings now covered his arms and neck – the symbols of Ra.

The balcony overviewed a barren, sandy courtyard, where he jerked in surprise to see Apophis now in several small pieces, all guarded over by a different god to ensure they would not reform. Upon seeing the noirette on the balcony, all of them kneeled, heads bowed, and confusion raced through him.

_They bow to the new reincarnation of Ra._

Zeref turned to Osiris, standing at his side. The god of the Afterlife met his gaze evenly, then bowed his head in respect.

_The trials of a pharaoh are much different than that of the average man. I trust you understand this, now. Every trial up until now has been to see if you had the power, the will to defeat Apophis. Had you failed any of them, it would have been a much longer and much more costly battle against him. This is proof, however, that you are fit to pass on in the path of those who have come before you, all following Ra. Many more will_ _follow after_ _you; however, from now on, your single job in the afterlife is to watch over your people with your predecessors. Eternal happiness shall be yours._

Zeref turned back to the courtyard; the various parts of Apophis were being forced into various canopic jars, each sealed with the head of the god standing guard over it. He watched as the jars vanished one by one, surely being sent off to various parts of Egypt to make the serpent's next attempt at conquering the pharaoh a harder one.

"It is reassuring to know that even if I had failed, my people would remain in the care of the gods until a new ruler rose to lead them."

_Indeed. Despite not knowing this, your heart proved pure, and because of this, no matter how much Apophis tried, he would never have been able to defeat you._

A smile slipped onto Zeref's face. "I need not eternal happiness like any mortal, Osiris. I need not even those I love with me in Afterlife. All I need is to know that they are happy, and that they will continue to live as long as possible."

For the first time, he heard a rumbling chuckle.

_Your final trial is complete,_ _Zeref_ _. You have passed brilliantly._

_"_ Hm? That was the final trial? Whether or not I was selfless to depend on the happiness of my people for my own peace?"

_Yes. Now go; eternity watching over your children awaits. Join your predecessors and protect Egypt for as long as it shall stand._


End file.
